Blanka was originally designed as a human character by Akira "Akiman" Yasuda, and underwent several re-conceptualizations during the production of Street Fighter II before reaching his final depiction as a feral savage with green skin and long orange hair. Blanka's backstory is that he was once human, but after a plane crash in Brazil he mutated (resulting in his green coloring and his ability to generate electricity). Blanka was generally well received by critics and fans, becoming one of the most popular characters in the franchise.

Conception and design

Creation

Designed by Akira "Akiman" Yasuda, the concept behind Blanka emerged in an early design as an African man named Anabebe who was raised by a lion.[1] After the release of Final Fight, Capcom again approached Street Fighter II and considered several designs for the Blanka character (including a masked wrestler modeled after Tiger Mask and a ninja-style warrior).[1][2] His design later changed to a large man with thick hair and sideburns, named "Hammer Blanka".[3] The staff then adopted Blanka's feral appearance, because they felt the game would be "dull" with only human characters.[4]

Characteristics

Blanka's most prominent physical characteristic is his green color, initially attributed to his consumption of chlorophyll from plants to blend into his jungle environment.[5][6] However, when Street Fighter was brought to the U.S., Blanka's coloring was attributed to his being struck by lightning during the electrical storm in which his plane crashed.[7][8] In Street Fighter II Blanka's skin is yellowish-green, but later versions of the character are bright green.[9]